With less than 100 days until the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar-Rourkela 2023, Hockey India has launched Favourite World Cup Memory, which will provide hockey fans with interesting trivia, amusing anecdotes, and memorable moments for hockey stars who have triumphed at this prestigious event in previous years.
Glenn Turner, a stalwart of the successful Australian team of the 2010s and a two-time World Champion, serves as the starting point of our series.
The former Australian forward talked fondly about the Kookaburras’ domination during his time after winning back-to-back World Cups in 2010 in India and 2014 in the Netherlands, as well as a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics.
It was a surreal experience because we were nearly winning everything at the time Turner joined the team. “I was lucky to come into a team that was full of superstars. We had built a culture of winning. But it all started at training sessions because it was so difficult to make the team. Not the games or the World Cups, the hardest part was to get a spot on that side. But, it was a good ride,” Turner said.
Turner, who scored as many as six goals in seven games, was essential to Australia’s victory in the 2010 World Cup. “Since I was new, as I just indicated, it was something like riding a wave for me when I entered and hustled to claim my space. It seems like everything happened so quickly,” he said.
The Kookaburras’ 2010 World Cup campaign got off to a losing start when they fell to England 3–2, but they went on to defeat the hosts India 5-2, South Africa 12-0, Spain 2-0, and Pakistan in all of their pool games (2-1).
“About that World Cup, I can still clearly recall a few details. Because there used to be Semi-Finals back then, we lost the first game to England and were in a game-or-die position. I believe we won many games with narrow margins when we started to succeed “Turner, then 38, reflected on the incident.
I would love to see India play well in the WC in 2023 – Turner
The bronze medalist from the London 2012 Olympics named his favorites for the forthcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023, which will be held in January in Bhubaneswar-Rourkela.
The 16 teams competing in the competition are Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, India, Argentina, Germany, New Zealand, England, France, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Chile, and Wales.
The two-time Olympian described his time spent playing hockey in India as follows: “I cherish India. I had a great time competing in the Hockey India League. The growth of Indian hockey is incredible, and it’s time for them to go forward.
“I would want to see them go a little bit higher because the World Cup is being played at home, which is a great benefit.”
“It’s just taking day-by-day and making sure you are trying to improve and get better. If you do that then you can stay around for a long time,” Turner said.
“To stay at the top of your game, you have to work hard, you have to enjoy it. You have to look after your body, and you have to be willing to compete every day at training.”
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